Court upholds Oregon Water Resources Commission determination that the dam would harm fish and habitat. Good news: WaterWatch of Oregon has won the latest round in its fight to stop construction of a 70-foot-high dam on Drift Creek, a tributary of the Pudding River in Marion County. On Wednesday, the Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the state Water Resource Commission’s …
Court Rules Against a Proposed Dam in Marion County
By Nathan Wilk | Nov. 3, 2023 | KLCC Radio A proposal for a new dam in rural Marion County has drawn criticism from wildlife advocates. On Wednesday, a state court ruled against it. The East River Water District has been trying to build a reservoir at Drift Creek for a decade. They say it would be the only reliable …
Disastrous Dam Repair on North Umpqua Sparks Massive Fish Kill, Pollution Spills, State Senate Inquiry, and $27.6 Million Fine
By Jim McCarthy | Oct. 30, 2023 | The Osprey At least 550,000 juvenile Pacific lamprey were killed this summer due to the botched repair of Winchester Dam on Oregon’s North Umpqua River. On October 6th, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) filed a $27.6 million claim for recovery of damages in the Douglas County Circuit Court against …
WaterWatch Challenges Willamette Water Temperature Plan
Oct. 10, 2021 WaterWatch of Oregon is challenging state approval of a plan to dampen the water-temperature impact of a $1.3 billion municipal water withdrawal project on the Willamette River. WaterWatch is asking the Multnomah County Circuit Court to overturn or re-evaluate a decision by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approving a “Thermal Trading Plan” to offset the …